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Brandon Sheer of Sheare

The ultimate of fantasies for a child is to catch a falling star, ripe from the skies with promise, mystery, and legend. As that child grows older, they find equal intrigue in capturing the stars that rise. New York City is on the cusp of discovering a bright new artist who is set for triumph.

With the upcoming April 16th release of his debut EP, Somebody Else, Brandon Sheer makes it clear that he is headed for greatness.With just four tracks, Brandon exhibits impressive vocal versatility with blends of smooth falsetto and a certain indie-laced innocence that surely comes from his early musical origins. “I think there are definite themes that I try and resonate in my music, but I’m not sure they are necessarily conscious”, he admits. His honest and open reflections on relationships will be easy to relate to for many pop-music fans. The catchy wash of soaring instrumentals on the Somebody Else EP makes Brandon’s songs relevant and memorable. The influence of Coldplay, for instance, is undoubtable, which is in his greatest favor as he will seamlessly fill the niche of demand. Does he have enough gravel to sing rock? Sure, just enough for a light romp. Could he record a classic R&B track? With his quality, absolutely. His tunes would sound just as easily at home on the radio as in music videos, films, and live concerts. There’s no ignoring Brandon Sheer’s potential.

Choosing to record under the moniker Sheare is another factor that will help Brandon create a distinct persona. While he is still grounded in his self-propelled roots as he publicizes his project, he has already made significant connections in the music industry. His roster includes collaborations with producer Mark “Spike” Stent (Coldplay, Arcade Fire, Keane, Muse), art directors Howard Wakefield and Simon Griffen (New Order, Joy Division, Pulp), and London’s acclaimed animation production studio M-I-E (Regina Spector, George Michael, Faithless).

The process of his technical evolution is natural and Brandon is completely aware of his growth. “In my early 20’s I thought I knew everything and had it all figured out. In my mid-twenties, I realized that I actually know very little and it humbled me in an anxiety-producing sort of way.” His decision to pursue music is driven by a mature approach to building reputation, professional relationships, and establishing his identity. “I think that process has in turn forced me to mature a bit more and it has absolutely affected me creatively in a positive way.” All of this makes 2013 a critical year for Brandon to gain momentum as he prepares for a strategic release of his completed LP next year. “I’m acting as my own publicist and trying to gain a whole lot of press. I’m really focusing on promotion right now,” he explains. “Also I’m currently planning an East Coast tour for the summer.”

The cusp of greatness is always breath-taking, and it’s an exceptional experience to connect with artists while they’re still in budding, albeit scrambling, form. Over the next year, Brandon Sheer will be observed by ever-growing crowds of fans and professional networks, all curious as to how he will continue to grow. This guy is headed into the cosmos and it will be an incredible journey.

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WBM: Where are you from, and how did you come to be in New York?

BRANDON: I was born in New York, but served a stint in New Jersey during middle school until I moved back into the city for high school…and yes, I’m aware that I’m making it sound like I was sent to the prison from Shawshank. I have lived in Manhattan ever since. New York is my first love.

WBM: Is it possible to define a moment when you knew that you would be making music?

BRANDON: I think there are a lot of little moments that quantify into the bigger picture of where I’m at now. I’m not sure that there was one specific moment where I knew that music was the career for me; I think I’m still figuring it out as I go along.

WBM: Is this your first official foray into the realm, or might we one day discover dubious band experiments from your past?

BRANDON: I think there’s a seventh grade Battle of the Bands video floating around there somewhere (laughs). I’ve put out music before, when I was performing as a solo artist. It’s always frustrating for me when people find the older stuff. It’s not that I think the music is bad, it’s just not reflective of what I’m doing now. I feel like I always have to justify myself when people hear the older music before they hear the new music.

WBM: You’ve been preparing for this for a few years, so why do you think that this EP is necessary to you right now?

BRANDON: I made a conscious decision that I didn’t want to release music into a vacuum, so to speak. I wanted there to be a concise plan behind what would happen leading up to the release, as well as after the music was released. I laid out a really detailed plan as to what I wanted to accomplish by releasing the new music. I also wanted to make sure I was able to be really content with the music I was going to put out. With my previous releases, I had some self-imposed deadline where I thought that I needed to put something out; but the reality is when you’re an unsigned, relatively new artist, no-one is waiting to hear your music. A month or two would pass after I had released the music; I’d just end up hating it because it sounded rushed to me. I just wanted to try and avoid that from happening again…but ask me how I feel about this EP six months from now (laughs).